My research has been focused on establishing an integrated platform that can consist of a software-hardware tools suite and a curricular module for introducing geographic information science (GISci) and its associated geospatial technologies to urban design students. I envision that this platform can facilitate the adoption of the Science of Where and the efficient deployment of modern geospatial technologies for urban design practice and research.

For me, the key task has been to assemble a toolkit with a common visual language that combines mapping and geographic analytics to connect location-based data to what planners and designers do routinely. I have identified four recent major trends in geospatial technologies: 1) increase in dimensions with 3D GIS; 2) integration with remote sensing; 3) cloud-based GIS; and 4) integration with immersive visualization technologies, including Virtual Reality and Augment Realty. I have also devoted my time and efforts in the recent years to developing a cohesive view towards the goal of establishing a GIS tools suite for urban design teaching and applied research.

My recent class projects and research findings have been published in a number of journals or news articles:

As a tool for public engagement, GIS has its roots in participatory approaches to planning and design, bringing mapping practices to local communities in order to promote public discloses, knowledge production, and problem solving for shared challenges. I have been particularly interested in data visualizations using 2D mapping and 3D modeling. Over the past year, I have focused my research on Augmented Reality (AR) with the belief that AR offers an interactive method to expand both non-computerized and computerized visualization techniques in planning and design. My work in AR has brought attention from many local organizations and generated interests for future collaborations, including Knight Foundation, Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, and OpenStreets704. I have recently been selected as one of the five Knight Foundation-Niantic Labs AR Fellows. With the support of this fellowship, I have organized a special event in which we incorporated the popular Pokémon-GO game into an OpenStreets704 event in order to encourage more public participation to this type of community event.